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The child inside
When you find yourself over-reacting to a situation, it’s a good idea to ask yourself how old you feel? This can give you a good idea of where the feeling is coming from.
You may have noticed that in some situations, you feel like a child and maybe even act like a child. It’s as if you have a child inside of you that takes you over.
You may think of this child as ‘pathetic’ and want to get rid of him or her. But that’s not the way to deal with children. When you send them away unloved they stay unhappy until the next time. That was the problem in the first place, that’s why that bit of you never got a chance to grow up. What they need is some adult support and comfort, an explanation they can understand, for you to give them some love and handle the situation in an adult way yourself.
So next time the child in you gets upset, talk to him / her, just like you would to a child. And listen to what he / she has to say. Ask him / her some questions and listen for the answers. What’s making you feel like this? What do you need? You can even have a conversation on paper. Write a letter to the child, then open a new page and listen for what the child wants to put down in reply.
This part of you doesn’t actually know you’ve grown up and can look after yourself now. So tell him / her.
Then you can give the child the security of knowing that you’re there to look after them and give them your love. You may find they have got something special to give you too – maybe a part of yourself you had lost.
Finally put them in your heart, surround them with love and keep them there.
